WHEN Gratia Churchill began a three-month visit to India, she had no idea her experiences would help her cope with the birth of her brain-damaged baby. Carren Heron reports.

GRATIA Churchill used to be the

epitome of a Nineties career woman.

A former PR girl in her early 20s, Gratia was in the process of starting her own Internet cafe business when she set off on a three-month trip to India.

The experience changed her life and set her in good stead for the tragic circumstances about to unfold.

Sixteen months ago

Gratia's son Ioho Blue suffered brain damage during birth, leading to cerebral palsy.

While she had been in India, during the early stages of her pregnancy, Gratia had discovered an entirely new way of living.

Firstly she met a yoga teacher and then she was introduced to reiki, a form of hands-on healing.

Gratia had no idea how important the alternative therapies would become until Ioho came into the world.

Gratia, of Addison Road, Hove, said: "They took him straight off to intensive care.

"He was unconscious for a week and it was terrible not to be able to hold the child that had grown inside me.

"He was on a ventilator with tubes everywhere. I couldn't even touch his hand or foot because there were so many tubes sticking out.

"But he gradually woke up, first one eye opened and then the other."

Gratia's experience of reiki in India led her to try the healing on her son.

She said: "When I was first introduced to reiki I was five months pregnant and had just had a big row with someone. I couldn't calm down because I was so angry.

"A friend said he'd try reiki on me and within 45 minutes I was totally relaxed. The heat from his hands was amazing.

"During Ioho's time in hospital we did reiki on him every day. It had a really profound affect on me in India. It's as if you're being cleansed of all negative energy."

Gratia also follows the yoga programme which she learned in India and says it has totally changed her life.

She said: "We met this amazing yoga teacher who asked us to come to his house every day for two weeks to learn and see how we felt afterwards.

"By the end of it I felt amazing. All my back problems had gone - I used to have lower back pain - and I had so much more energy. I felt on top of the world. I've carried on doing it ever since. It's now part of my routine.

"I was in labour for 31 hours and it really helped with the pain because I didn't have any drugs until right near the end."

Now the dedicated mum wants to study a unique course of yoga for special needs youngsters in Chicago so she can teach it to other mothers in similar situations in England.

The special yoga poses aim to help the children, mentally and physically, by increasing attention, improving muscle tone, balance and flexibility and easing breathing problems.

The tutor, Sonia Sumar, first practised the techniques on her own daughter who was born with Down's syndrome.

Gratia said: "I want to be able to give classes and teach other people. I want to raise awareness in other parents so they can do something for their own little ones.

"Before Ioho was born I hadn't even considered that there might be something wrong with him.

"Before, I was always into things looking nice, a nice house and nice clothes. Luckily India had been the turning point for me and pregnancy can't fail to change your life.

"When Ioho was born it was devastating in a way but I'm just so happy he's alive.

"It didn't really affect me in the way that I didn't have my perfect baby. I just find it so painful when I can see he's in difficulty.

"He's like a very tiny baby in many ways and he has breathing problems. At first he had a tube to feed him but I've worked with him to try and encourage him to swallow and suck for himself. Each feed can take up to two hours at a time.

I believe in positive thought and action and I concentrate on all the things he can do, not the things he can't. To me, everything he does is amazing.

"Doctors told us there was nothing more we could do for him, but that's rubbish. There are things you can do but just not on the NHS.

"What I will learn on the course will relax Ioho and help his chest. It will also make me much more aware of his body and allow me to do more.

"I really want to do it so I can bring it to this country."

Gratia is hoping an airline will sponsor her travel but she also needs to find around £800 to pay for the week-long course next month first.

She can be contacted on 01273 272452.

Gratia is also holding fund-raising yoga classes at

Evolution, Sillwood Terrace, Brighton, on Monday and Tuesday morning and also on November 1.

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